Apparatus for controlling connections of storage batteries with charging-circuits.



no. 668,779. Patented Feb. 2s, 190|. n. n. suman.

APPARATUS FUR CONTRULLING CONNECTIONSOF STORGE BATTERIES WITH CHARGING CIRCUITS.

Patented Feb. 26, I90I.

II. H. SUREII. APPARATUS FDR CORTRULLIRG CORIECTIURS 0F STORAGE BATTERIES WITH CI'IARGIIIB CIRCUITS.

(Applialtion lod Junt 29. 1599.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN H. SUREN, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING CONNECTIONS OF STORAGE BATTERIES WITH CHARGING-ClRCUlTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 668,779, dated February 26, 1901.

Application led J une 29, 1899.4 Serial No'. 722,251. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t petty concern:

Beit known that I, NATHAN H. SUREN, of Needham, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Controlling the Connections of Storage' Batteries with a Charging-Circuit, of which the following descrip'- tion, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on 1o the drawings representing like parts.

It is now customary in many places to use storage batteries for fire-alarm and other circuits and to charge the same at proper times, and a switchboard having suitable switches,

i 5 by means of which the electric connections are made, is employed.

In other applications for Letters Patents,

Serial No. 721,151, filed .Tune 19, 1899, and Serial No. 722,287, filed June 29, 1899, means are zo shown for controlling the electric connections between the storage-battery terminals and the charging-circuit, such means comprising a number of magnets, and the charging-cnrrent passes through the coils of Athese magnets, and as it frequently happens that different charging-currents are utilized, some of high tension and sinallamperage and some of low tension and large amperage, it therefore becomes necessary that these magnets 3o shall be capable of operation without injury nets, through the coils of which the chargingcurrent passes, and switches for connecting the coils of said magnets in dierent ways with the charging-circuit-as, for instance, for connecting them in series or multiple series or in parallel with the charging-circuit.

Figure 1 represents in diagram means for connecting a storagebattery with a chargingcircuit and means for controlling said connections and means embodying this invenwithout injury with different charging-currents, whereby a standard switchboard may be manufactured and sold, the switches loeing disposed to connect the several magnetcoils in series; and Fig. 2, a similar diagram showing the switches disposed to connect the magnet-coils in multiple series, two magnetcoils being in each branch.

2030 represent the charging-circuit wires connected to the pivot-posts a Z7 of an ordinary knife-switch, the switch-arms a b' of which are pivoted to said posts a ZJ and are adapted to engage the posts a2 b2 to close the switch.

c c represent the coils of an electromagnet, the armature c2 of which has on its front edge two metallic strips c5 c, insulated from each other, and when the said armature is retracted said strips c5 c will respectively engage the contact-springs d d and when attracted will engage the battery-terminals e. The contact-springs d d are connected together by a circuit-wire d4, which may and preferably will includea suitable resistance.

The object of the loop-circuit and contacts d d is to make the board automatic in respect to the battery. f

When the knife-switch is closed, the coils c and c' of the electromagnet are included in the charging-circuit, and its armature will be immediately attracted, and consequently the battery-terminals@ will be connected with the charging-circuit. This means of connecting a storage battery with a charging-circuit is shown in my application for Letters Patent Serial No. 722,287.

e e2 represent two pairs of coils of a polarized electromagnet, which are disposed so as to face each other, and the permanently-magnetized armature is pivoted between them. The coils of this polarized electromagnet are also included in the charging-circuit when the knife-switch is closed.

The polarized electromagnet is employed for the purpose of operating suitable devices to open-the knife-switch, and thereby disconnect the storage battery from the chargingcircuit, if the latter should not be connected in correct polarity. The polarized electro- 5o tion for adapting said means to be operated magnet and the means for operating it to ac- Ioo complish this result form the subject-matter of my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 721,151, tiled .lune 19,1895). 1t will therefore be seen that the chargingcurrt-mt must pass through all of the coils ot said magnets in order that they may accomplish the results intended for them, and consequently they are liable to inju ry it the charging-cu rrent should be too strong. It, however, the said coils should be connected with the charging-cir cuit in diterent ways as, for instance, in series or in multiple series or in parallel with the charging-circuit-I find that they will be capable of carrying any of the different charging-currents without injury. To accomplish this result, a set of switches are provided, which are herein represented as a number of switch-arms ff fSf'lf, pivoted to their respective posts g g' g2 gi" gl g5, and four ordinary anvil or other form of contacts are provided t'or each switch-arm, as n n 72.2913, and all of said switch-arms are connected t0- gether by a rod or bar 7L, so as to be moved together, and a bracket 71, is secured to said rod or bar, having a projection h2, which cooperates with a suitable index-plate h3. A thu nib-screw 'i is provided, by means ot' which the bracket may be secured to the indexplate in several different positions, four being herein shown, and as the bracket is thus moved the switch-arms will be caused to engage the ditferent anvil-contacts. As these switch-arms are simultaneously operated the coils of the magnets will be connected in four different ways with the charging-circuit-as, for instance, in one position all of the coils will be connected in series, in another position two of the coils will be connected in series with each other, two paths being provided tor the current, in another position three paths will be provided lor the current and the coils correspondingly arranged, one

' in each of two of the paths and two in the other path, and in another position all of the coils will be arranged in parallel-that is, in separate paths. The circuit-wires when arranged to enable the switches to thus connect the coils ot the magnets may be as follows: Referring to Fig. 1, the wire 2 connects the post o? of the knife-switch with the terminal 3 of the coil c, the wire a leads from the terminal 5 of said coil to the pivotpost g, the wire (i leads from said pivot-post g to the contacts a2 if of the switch-arm f', the wire '7 leads from the pivot-post g' of said switch-arm f to the terminal 8 of the coil c, the wire 9 leads from the terminal 10 ofi the coil c to the pivot-post g2, the wire 12 leads from the contact n3 of the switch-arm f to the terminatl of the pair of magnetcoils e2 ot' the polarized electromagnet, the wire 1-1- leads from the terminal 15 of said pair of coils e2 to the pivot-post g4, the wire 1G leads from the contacts u', u2, and n3 of the switch-arm f4 to the contacts fn. n2 n3 of the switch-armff, the wire 17 leads l'rom the pivot-post g5 to the terminal 18 ot the o1 hcr pair ot' magnet-coils e', the wire 1? leads from the other terminal 2O of said pair of coils e to the terminal 21,connected to the metallic strip c, which bears upon or engages the coutactspring d', which is connected by wire (Z4 with the other contact-spring d, bearing upon the metallic strip c5, and the wire 22 leads from said metallic strip c5 to the post b2 of the knife-switch. Vhen the switches are thrown to the let't, as represented in Fig. 1, all of the switch-arms will bear upon their contacts u; and the coils of the several magnets will all be in series, and the circuit may be traced as above described. A wire 31 connects the contacts 'n and 'n' of the switch-arm f with the contact n of the switch-arm f4, a wire 32 connects the contact In of the switch-arm f with the pivot-post g5 aud Contact at of the switch-arm f5, a wire connects the contact n3 of the switch-arm f2 with the contacts u u n2 of the switch -arm f3, a wire 31k connects the contacts un 'n2 of the switch-arm f2 with the terminal 21, and a wire connects the contacts n n of the switch-arm f with the terminal 8. By moving' the switch-arms into the other three different positions, so that they will engage the contacts u or n or a2, the sev eral magnet-coils will be connected with the charging-circuit in the other three different positions referred to. This will enable the operator to charge the batteries at several ditterent rates and keep the magnets protected by putting them in proper form for the amount otA current passing through them and still enable them to retain sulicient energizing power to attract their armatures.

Dteterring to Fig. 2, the switch-arms are moved into position to rest upon the several contacts u2 and two paths for the current will be provided, and the circuits may be traced as follows: a2, 2, .3, c', 5, a, g, 6, u2, f, g, 7, 8, c, 10, 9, g2, f2, 912,02", n, .31, 21, c, batteryterminal e, through wires and storage batteries to the other battery-terminal e, c5, 22, h2, thereby including two of the coils c and c' in series in one branch of the circuit, and from the terminal 3, 35, fn', fit, 32, g3, f3, n2, n', n, 33, n3, 12, 115, e?, 15, 14, g1, f4, n2, 1G, uf, a?, f5, g5, 17, 1S, e', 20, 1f), 21, thence rei' turning to the post h2 by c, e, c, c, and 22, thereby including the other two coils e e2 in series in the other branch ot' the circuit.

1. A charging-circuit, a storage battery adapted to be connected therewith and means for controlling the connect-ions comprising a number of magnets, and switches t'or connecting the coils of said magnets with said charging-circuit in series with themselves or in parallel with each other, substantially as described.

2. A charging-circuit, a storage battery adapted to be connected therewith and means ICO IZO

for controlling the connections comprising a name to this speeiozition in the presence of' number of magnets and switches for oontwo subscribing Witnesses. nec/ting the coils of said magnets with said NATHAN H SUREN ehargingirenit, in series 0r in multiple series With themselves, or in parallel with each Witnesses: other, substantially as described. B. J. NOYES,

In testimony whereof I have signed my J. L. HUTOHINSON. 

